The Prince's Pride

Golden aura blazed around Vegeta, his long silver hair streaming in the currents of air as he radiated a suffocating pressure.

Cell climbed out of the ravine, half his body still regenerating, but the look in his eyes had changed.

Gone was the ease of a predator toying with its prey.

In its place was wariness toward an unknown danger.

"Vegeta..." Cell's voice was hoarse. "Didn't Android 17 send you flying?"

"Send me flying?"

Vegeta sneered.

"That was merely a strategic retreat by yours truly."

...A strategic retreat that got you blasted away like a meteor, huh?

Gohan lay at the bottom of the crater, silently mocking him. He knew Vegeta too well—he was stubborn to the bone. Android 17 had beaten him so badly he could barely recognize his own mother, yet now he was putting on an utterly composed act.

King of Tsunderes.

"However—"

Vegeta raised his chin and looked down at Cell.

"Thanks to that insect, my rage has built up to its limit."

He clenched his fists.

"And you're perfect for use as a punching bag."

Before he even finished speaking, he vanished from where he stood!

Bang!!!

A punch smashed into Cell's face, sending his head flying like a cannonball!

Second punch! Third punch! Fourth punch!

Vegeta's fists descended like a raging storm, every blow carrying devastating force!

Cell's regeneration could not keep up at all—his chest was punched through, his abdomen blasted apart, and his arms pulverized!

"T-Too fast!!" Krillin stared in disbelief.

Piccolo fixed his gaze on the battlefield. "No, it's a complete stomp. The gap in their power levels is far too great."

Gohan watched the one-sided slaughter in the sky with a complicated look in his eyes.

180 million against 50 million... a gap of more than three times.

Vegeta was treating Cell like a punching bag.

But Gohan frowned.

Shouldn't Cell have been more cunning?

Why wasn't he using his tail? Why was he just standing there and taking the beating?

Gohan narrowed his eyes.

Those eyes... held no fear, only calm calculation.

Oh no!!

"Uncle Vegeta!!" Gohan shouted with all his strength. "Watch out for his tail!!"

The moment the words left his mouth—

A pitch-black tail shot out from behind Cell, stabbing straight at Vegeta's back!

Slap!

The tail grazed Vegeta's shoulder, drawing a bloody line!

"Cheap trick."

Vegeta sneered, but the next second—

A hand seized his ankle!

"Absorption—begin!"

Cell's eyes gleamed with greed as his body began to swell wildly!

"Break free!!" Gohan screamed.

Vegeta unleashed all his energy, and the golden aura transformed into countless blades.

Screech! Screech! Screech!!!

The tendrils were severed one after another!

"Get lost!!!"

Vegeta kicked Cell away and used the opening to break free!

But his expression was grim. Part of his sleeve had been torn away, and several savage wounds marked his arm.

"Close..." Cell licked his lips, his gaze growing even greedier. "The Saiyan prince's energy is truly delicious."

Damn!! Uncle Vegeta was hurt!! He almost got absorbed!!

Gohan's heart sank.

Cell's regeneration plus that tail-absorption tactic was just too disgusting!!

And on top of the injuries Vegeta had suffered from Android 17 earlier—

"What?" Cell closed in. "Your aura has weakened."

"Or is your body not actually as tough as it looks?"

A provocation!!

Gohan reacted at once.

"Uncle Vegeta!! Don't listen to him—"

"Shut up!!"

Vegeta turned his head, his expression complicated as he looked at Gohan in the crater, then charged Cell again.

But this time, his attacks were clearly no longer as fierce as before.

Cell began deliberately dodging, blocking, and counterattacking.

"Your speed has slowed."

"Or were those two hits from Android 17 worse than you let on?"

"Shut up!!"

Vegeta threw a punch, but Cell sidestepped it!

Smack!

The tail seized Vegeta's arm again!

"Again?!"

Vegeta struggled, but Cell had been prepared this time. His entire tail wrapped around him like a chain!

"Your energy is delicious."

"Get off me!!"

Vegeta forcibly broke free, but his movements were clearly sluggish this time. His internal injuries had flared up!

"Cough!"

He clutched his chest and coughed up blood!

This was bad, bad, bad!!

Gohan panicked.

Uncle Vegeta couldn't hold on anymore!!

"Hahahaha!!"

Cell's wild laughter shook the air.

"The Saiyan prince is nothing special after all!!"

"After getting badly injured by Android 17, you still dared to play the hero?!"

"Where's your pride? Where's your self-respect?!"

"Do you even deserve them?!"

Vegeta's face turned livid.

He fell silent.

Then—

He raised his head, a bitter smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Yeah."

"I really am a failure."

"When Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta, I wasn't there."

"I survived, but my people died."

"Then I fled to Earth, where Kakarot surpassed me, and then his son surpassed me..."

"I really have been losing all along."

Cell frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm saying..."

Vegeta's aura surged once more!!

"I've had enough of losing!!"

Golden energy flared as brilliantly as the sun!!

"Today, I'm going to win it all back!!"

BOOM!!!

This burst of power was even more terrifying than before!!

Cell's expression finally changed.

"This is!!"

"Why do you think I kept staring at Kakarot?!"

Vegeta's voice shook the air.

"Because I, Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyans, will never allow myself to stand behind someone else forever!!"

His figure vanished.

BAM!

One punch smashed into Cell's face, blasting his upper body directly into dust!!

"Regenerate, then!!"

A second punch!!

Before the remains could reassemble, they were shattered again!!

"Weren't you acting pretty arrogant?!!"

A third punch!!

RUMBLE!

A golden energy storm swept across the entire area!!

"Disappear for good!!"

The smoke and dust cleared.

Cell's remains floated in the air, with less than a tenth of his body left.

"Huff... huff..."

Vegeta gasped heavily. There were even more wounds on his body, but his eyes had never shone so brightly.

"This time... he should be dead, right...?"

No!!

Gohan's pupils suddenly constricted!!

He saw Cell's tail!!

While Vegeta had been attacking him like mad, that tail had secretly slipped away!

It had slithered toward the forest!!

"Uncle Vegeta!!" Gohan screamed. "Behind you!! Cell's tail got away!!"

"What?!"

Vegeta turned around just in time to see the tail vanish into the depths of the forest!

"That bug!!"

He was about to give chase—

BOOM!!!

A violent explosion erupted from the distant forest!!

Then came the screams of countless wild animals!!

"He's absorbing them!!" Krillin shouted. "Cell is absorbing the animals in the forest!!"

It was too late.

A massive energy vortex was forming above the forest.

Countless animals were swept into it—tigers, lions, bears, wolves...

Cell's body swelled at a visible rate!!

"Hahaha!!" Cell's laughter came from within the vortex. "Delicious!!"

"As long as there are enough of them—"

The vortex dispersed.

Cell's figure appeared once more.

His body was more robust, golden markings covering him from head to toe.

And his aura

It had already reached a terrifying level!!

"Now..." Cell rolled his neck. "Let's begin again."

"Vegeta—no, Prince of Saiyans."

He smiled faintly.

"Thank you for clearing away the worthless trash that was in my way."

"Now it's my turn!!"

Gohan stared blankly at the two figures in the sky.

Vegeta... and Cell, who had undergone a complete transformation.

It was over.

The state Uncle Vegeta had finally regained had been overturned again.

How much stronger had Cell become? Had he already surpassed me?

He touched the Reverse Frequency Device at his waist.

I have to think of something... I can't keep taking hits passively like this...

Just then—

There was movement in the distance.

Android 17 and Android 18.

Those two had been sitting on a mountaintop watching the battle, but now Android 18 stood up.

"That's about enough." Her voice was icy. "Android 17, it's our turn."

Android 17 rose as well, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"That bug has already become complete."

"Looks like the plan will have to be moved up."

A plan?! What plan?!

Gohan's heart sank.

Were Android 17 and Android 18 going to attack Cell? Or were they planning to do something amid the chaos?!

He desperately tried to stand, but the pain wracking his body made him collapse again.

Damn it... I can't move...

Where's Android 16?! Where did Android 16 go?!

Android 16 was nowhere to be seen.

Damn it!

Gohan could only watch helplessly as Android 17 and Android 18 flew toward Cell.

And the battle between Vegeta and Cell was about to begin.